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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641603">Hazy Aspirations, Lazy Inspirations</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syra_Nova/pseuds/Syra_Nova'>Syra_Nova</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:41:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syra_Nova/pseuds/Syra_Nova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Remnant is such an interesting place with so many possibilities for the fantastical. But sometimes you just need a little more time spent hanging out in a more casual context. I.e. Fluff™ and Silly Stuff™. </p><p>So let's just run with some barebones premises and see where they lead. </p><p>a.k.a. I need to get silly plot bunnies out of my head for self-indulgent reasons. I'mma dump 'em all here</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose/Velvet Scarlatina, Ilia Amitola/Ruby Rose, Neopolitan/Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Something New</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss x Yang</p><p>The newly engaged couple is commemorating the occasion with some matching body art.</p><p>But it's Weiss' first time getting a tattoo and she might unexpectedly awaken something during the experience...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Give me just another couple minutes to make sure I've got everything ready to go and we'll get started, 'kay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded stiffly and gripped the leather of her seat a little harder. All this waiting was torturous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One had to wonder how she'd gotten to this tense situation at all. The Schnee heiress was known across Remnant for her remarkable business sense and her iron grasp over her family's advertising for their corporation. Her mother had done well to choose her to represent their brand. After all, none could match her when it came to the art of presentation. Prim, proper, and stunningly beautiful; she understood the skills needed to draw the eyes and curiosities of anyone in the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So how had she ended up in a seedy downtown tattoo parlor in Vale City?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A certain Yang Xiao Long might have had something to do with it, though how the woman had managed to convince her to do it was still a bit of a mystery even now. Just like their relationship as a whole. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Career-wise the two of them were nothing alike. Weiss was the face of a massive conglomerate and Yang ran a tiny bakery with the help of a couple friends. Their personalities were just as dissimilar. Weiss kept a frosty calm at all times; forever in control, commanding, and intolerant of mistakes. Whereas Yang was constantly subjected to the whims of the winds of change; cheerful and happy to go with flow yet fiery enough to take the power it gave her to turn any situation in her favor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And, most importantly, Yang was the older sister of Weiss' best friend from high school. Ruby Rose had helped to teach her what real friends were. But Yang was the bright sun that inspired Ruby to begin with and the one that warmed Weiss' icy shell until she'd completely fallen in love with the dorky bundle of optimism. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yang, remind me why we're doing this again." She couldn't help her stiff upper lip. The rambunctious mish-mash of graffiti-like drawings and portraits littered across the walls here was assaulting everything she knew about interior design. Not to mention the excessive number of neon signs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Because you looooove me. Wasn't that the thing?" Yang had a smile that reminded Weiss of a smug cat. "Lookin' to back out on me, Snowflake?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tall, muscular blond was set up in the seat right next to Weiss', also waiting for her own session to start. Unlike Weiss though she was perfectly at ease. She had a few tattoos already: a raven on her right shoulder, a sun with two roses on her left, and a long dragon coiled down her left arm. She was currently in shorts shorter than the boxers she wore at home to sleep in, exposing the canvas of her thighs for the coming body art. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course not!" Weiss snapped, though she instantly regretted it. "I'm allowed to be nervous, aren't I?" she asked more quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure are," Yang grinned, completely unfazed. "I promise you'll be fine though. Maybe it'll hurt a little but not much. It's just like a little tickle to me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What made the bigger difference here was not Yang's words so much as the offer of a hand to hold. Weiss didn't even mind if it was the golden prosthetic on Yang's right. It was just as warm and comforting as the woman herself. She just radiated calm, always helping to soothe her worries. Whether there was a PR fiasco at work or traffic had been an absolute nightmare, Yang's hands, metal or otherwise, kept her relaxed and sane. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath and let it out slow with her eyes shut, reminding herself of what this was for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do love you though…" she muttered, earning a kiss on the cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was Yang's offer for their 5th anniversary and recent engagement: matching snowflake tattoos to commemorate their relationship so far. Weiss had toyed with the idea of getting some kind of tattoo for years, even before they started dating. She had even been present for Yang's first tattoo back when they graduated school together: the roses for her sister and adoptive mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Agreeing to finally take the plunge had taken more reassuring than cajoling on Yang's part though. Weiss had the interest, it was just the fact that she was an incessant worrywart that made her hesitate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okie dokie! I get that you're trying to give everyone cavities but I'm all set over here ladies. We all ready to go?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss' eyes were drawn open by the chipper voice of Yang's favorite and go-to artist. She'd met "Syn" a few times over the years. Yang invited her to birthdays and drink nights. They had just known each other that long. The woman was pleasant, if a little quiet and reserved most of the time. She was one of the few people Weiss had seen outside of her own family with a shock of brilliant white hair. She was also exceedingly tall and androgynous. The thing that especially set her apart from a Schnee though was her intense orange eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who's going first?" Syn asked, rolling her sleeves back to show off her own geometric tattoos while she pulled on fresh latex gloves. Since the two of them were getting the same design it was important to have the same artist do both. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hit me with it, baby! Gonna show my girl how it's done before she gets hers." Yang winked and Weiss rolled her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Syn giggled and wheeled her cart of supplies to Yang's chair, flipping on the bright white lamp she was going to work under. "You got it, sweetheart. You can grab a stool to get a better look Weiss."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss did just that while the artist set to work sterilising the skin on Yang's right thigh, watching it happen with morbid fascination. The first time she'd been here she'd looked anywhere but the needle and had just kept Yang company. But now she had a vested interest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, I know you know all this Yang but I'm gonna do it all for funsies," Syn began in a light, conversational tone, her hands seemingly moving on autopilot. "This process is in essence very simple. All the tools I'm going to be using are sterilised and will be intended for use on just this specific tattoo. Meaning the needles have been certifiably cleaned to reasonably prevent the likelihood of infection and will be completely disposed of afterwards. The skin we're working on has to be thoroughly cleaned and re-cleaned regularly while we work. Health and safety is our number one priority since we're about to poke thousands of tiny holes into your skin and fill them with ink."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang kept the relaxed smile on her face while Syn chattered away, sticking her hands behind her head and taking advantage of the reclining seats. Even when the black outlines of the Schnee family snowflake began to take shape, Yang barely so much as twitched, letting her friend do her work. And once Syn quieted she drew her into a lighthearted conversation about an online game they played together on occasion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss deeply appreciated the informative talk though. While she valued Yang's experiences quite highly there was nothing quite like seeing the process for yourself and hearing about it from the mouth of a professional. Growing up in a more privileged household brought some misconceptions to the table that were hard to shake, even as an adult. Tattoos didn't belong in high society. Flagrantly spitting in the face of nature by permanently marring your skin with disgusting iconography was an act only perpetrated by barbaric commoners and savages. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or so Father had always said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were a great many things to take issue with in beliefs like that but the most concerning one was the only one that held any real merit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, seeing the highly sanitary nature of this ritual under the scrutiny of bright white floodlights was enough to finally silence any lingering paranoia in Weiss' mind. She was quite certain the only thing she'd ever seen that was more sanitary than this was a hospital surgery. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If anything, when she looked around the shop a second time, she found that every surface she could see had been diligently and painstakingly wiped clean. Every chair and its associated station was stocked with enough disinfectants to fuel an army of janitors. It may have had the look of a grungy roadie bar in some ways but it was anything but upon closer inspection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she knew it the design that she and Yang had chosen together had taken shape on her fiancé's leg. She shared a wide smile with Yang while Syn talked about the aftercare for the finished product, intensely pleased with seeing the striking design that marked Yang as hers. In particular the date inscribed in the center of it that marked the start of their relationship. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Woop woop! Hokay, miss Weiss-y. Ready for your turn?" Syn asked while she carefully washed her hands all the way up to the elbows at the nearby counter. "If you're up for it, we'll start in just a couple minutes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss stiffened with the return of her anxiety about her turn. She took a deep breath and took back her own seat though, perching on the edge of it and bouncing her leg. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It'll be over before you know it, baby." Yang took over the stool Weiss had been occupying with a whisper of encouragement. "You sure you want it right in the middle of your back though? Gettin' close to bones like your spine can hurt more."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had talked about the placements of their tattoos quite a lot. Yang's was on her legs because her torso simply didn't have as much real estate. But, she still wanted to easily show it off in the summer. Weiss, however, wanted to be able to hide hers most of the time to avoid unnecessary snobbery at work. With the exception of dinner parties and the like; she'd become quite taken with the thought of how it would look paired with one of her backless gowns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure," she spat out. She didn't want to chicken out now so she answered as quickly as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Welp it's time to get you laid on your tummy then," Syn sing-songed, letting the latex on her new pair of gloves snap against her wrist. She kicked her foot against a lever on Weiss' chair so it would fall flat and become a table. "Absolutely let me know if I need to stop at any point if you need to rest. We don't have to take it faster than your pain tolerance, okay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Understood.." She'd worn a backless top that tied around her neck specifically so she wouldn't have to shed any clothing in public. Even if her chest was going to be laid down out of sight she didn't want to take any chances. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Syn being so kind and outlining everything that might worry Weiss was definitely helpful though. Weiss turned her head towards the side of the table that the woman was working on to watch her expression as she set to work. Yang was a worrywart and would stress them both out by being overly empathetic through the whole thing, something they both knew. It would be much easier to watch Yang's friend focus. Her very attractive friend with a beautiful jawline and pouty lips that stuck out while she-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang was seriously getting to her these days. Never could she have ever imagined herself spending an afternoon with her girlfriend checking out and admiring beautiful women that walked by. They had spent more than a few dates doing just that though, using those inspirations for… </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> activities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In all seriousness though, Syn's dedication and single-minded focus was laudable. Her eyes never wavered from her work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Being the subject of that work was an… interesting experience to say the least. Just as it had been explained, there was definitely some pain in having thousands of tiny holes poked into her skin. But, after a few minutes the pain faded into a prickly buzzing that would nip at her every so often. It was almost calming in a way once she adjusted and she hummed contentedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hokay budgie. Line work's done. Now for the hard part okay? Fill-ins."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss did quickly wish she'd gotten a little more warning than that. Filling sections of the tattoo to make solid shapes </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>painful. Especially right over the bumps of her spine. It felt like the pen was just digging into the same spots over and over again. She couldn't help but take a sharp breath every time the pain spiked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Need a break at-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"No."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her pride refused to let her give in this far along. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So she rode out the pain while Syn focused, going silent again to get it done with it seemed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just when it all seemed like too much though and she thought she might give in, she instead cracked an eye open to watch Syn again. Weiss wouldn't have thought she'd be noticed but she was and Syn gave her some offhand encouragement to answer the look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There's a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good girl… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Almost done, Weiss."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A shot of heat zinged from the pen and all the way down Weiss' spine. Her breath caught. Suddenly every sensation of pain melted away. Her eyes were stuck wide open watching Syn's even though the woman wasn't even looking her way. Then, before she knew it… it was all done. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat up in a daze when directed to, only vaguely catching what she was being told about aftercare while Yang gushed about the tattoo and showed her pictures she'd taken during the process. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You good, Snowflake?" Yang frowned when she didn't get any more response than a faint hum. So she snapped some fingers in Weiss' face while Syn turned away to clean up. "Weiss?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm- I'm good," Weiss said in a breathy voice. "That was a much better experience than I expected going in. Thank you so much, Syn."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My pleasure, miss lady! Honestly you did pretty well for your first time with such delicate skin. Most people like you tap out a couple times to catch their breath. Real good job toughing that out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe I should get another one," Weiss mused, craning her neck to check out her back in one of the mirrors on the wall with a big smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'd give it at least a few weeks to let that one heal."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't at all notice Yang watching her joke with the artist nor see the dawning realization in her girlfriend's eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she did notice Yang's smug look when they said their goodbyes and got in their car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing." Yang just casually stretched in her seat, letting the engine idle for a moment. "How's it feel to be a changed woman, Snowflake? Have fun?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I did, actually." Weiss sighed. She was well-acquainted with the feeling of Yang setting a conversation up for something. She frowned, wondering where this one would go. "Overall it wasn't nearly as painful as I was worried about. And where it was I felt very… reassured by Syn's skills. I see why you've always trusted her."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Syn's a good egg despite the name. She knows her stuff." Yang chuckled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quiet followed, the kind that put Weiss on edge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was that silence making her blush a little or did the silence just make her blush easier to notice? And why was Yang leaning over the gearshift and backing her up against the window?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She really knows when to give ya a little… encouragement to push through it. That little nudge."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"O… kay? Yes. And what of it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing much, Princess. I just think I noticed something when she did it. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked </span>
  </em>
  <span>getting called a 'good girl'."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh Maidens, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>where she was going with this. And Weiss wasn't even totally sure of what that was yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Eep!" Weiss jumped when Yang nibbled at her ear. "W-wouldn't anyone?" Her voice wavered a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure. But-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Knock, knock. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang sighed and pulled away to roll down her window, blinking in surprise when she saw Syn there. "'Sup!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We can all see you from inside, Yang. It's a nice show but you may wanna do that at home," Syn warned cheerfully, waving and walking back inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Come on, Yang! Don't do that to me in public," she whined. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry, baby." Yang's apology wasn't very convincing but Weiss let it slide for now. "We'll take care of it when we get home though, promise. Think you can be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good girl </span>
  </em>
  <span>and wait until then?" She began to back the car out of the lot with a giggle and waved at the shop while they joined traffic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss stayed quiet, her face bright red while she considered the weight of the effect that little bit of praise had had on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think I discovered something about myself I wasn't expecting from this...</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just like at the beginning of this chapter, all the chapters will have their featured ship shown right away &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Almost Missed You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby x Ilia</p><p>Sometimes all it takes is that little accidental meeting that might never have happened if things didn't happen just right.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Getting dressed up for a party could be pretty entertaining all by itself. There was a pleasurable sort of tension in it while you looked forward to the fun that happened with so many people in one place. Even though Ruby wasn't as much of a maniac for parties as her sister she usually had a good time. This time she'd even felt confident enough to go a little out there with her outfit. Her new denim jacket paired with a ruffle-y, poofy black skirt. Her favorite pair of black, high-laced boots. Some nice silver hoop earrings and some extra hairspray to hold her spiky do in place. A tentative attempt at the eyeshadow Blake had taught her how to do. She'd even broken out her pride necklace with the lesbian flag colors displayed prominently on the pendant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the way the night had gone so far though she wasn't really sure that the added effort was worth it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Parties thrown by friends were one thing but parties thrown by her college were another beast entirely. Beacon was a great place for finding lots of different types of people but an "official" party meant "official" rules. Neat, orderly, and quiet. No rowdy dance pits. No one sneaking into a side room to get frisky. And unfortunately you could kind of tell whoever organized this was… well, kind of an old fogey that stuck to those rules. Sure, there was music but it wasn't pumping, energetic dance tunes; whoever was in charge of the music may as well have just tuned into the radio to find all the most popular songs from five or more years ago. There was an impressive spread of food laid out but it was all dainty finger sandwiches and healthy snacks like veggie platters and the like. Totally unlike the haphazard piles of pizza, chips, and beer you would see at a fraternity/sorority party.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't like there wasn't a nice vibe here but it wasn't very exciting. She'd been to family gatherings less stiff and awkward. And her parents' families didn't exactly get along the greatest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It should've been expected, really. Especially after Yang and her girlfriend turned down the chance to go to a party. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>did that. Not to mention the fact that all her other friends had too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only reason Ruby had still decided to go alone was honestly because of her public speaking class. She was trying really hard to be less of an awkward wreck in conversations, especially since she wanted to make friends so much. Her teacher had had a lot of good things to say about parties. There were so many chance meetings that could happen if you just put yourself out there! So maybe she'd been a little inspired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But as soon as she got there her usual anxiety had set in. It was hard to start a conversation with anyone when all people asked about was your grades as a way to brag about their own. Why would she want to talk about school while she was taking time off from it to begin with anyway? If they weren't asking about grades they had totally different interests from her. Why play lacrosse or chess when there were skate parks and roller rinks and video games?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least walking around picking snacks off the trays was a little fun. She'd been drifting around trying all of the neat delicacies she'd never had before. There were so many different bits and pieces sourced from every big nation's locales since it was the school's fat purse footung the bill. Fish grilled with Mistralian seasonings. Spicy Vacuoan meat rolls. And even though she couldn't convince anyone to let her try a little Atlesian champagne on account of her age, there were divine chocolate delicacies everywhere from that cold country's kitchens. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, most importantly, there were the lovely flutes of sparkling juice made from some fruit she couldn't say the name of. It was something from Menagerie though. She'd messaged Blake about it as soon as she saw the "Bottled in Kuo Kuana" label, hoping the Menagerie native would know where to get some here in Vale. There was no proper comparison she could make to anything else she'd ever had. It was just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>yummy. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To be honest though she could probably get a quicker answer if she just left now and swung by her friend's dorm room on her way. Or made a late-night store run. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Ruby was about to take a step towards the doors though she caught it again: the most important thing of the whole night. The sweetest of perfumes with just a hint of earth and spice had been teasing her senses the entire time. It drifted around the edges of her awareness, tickling her curiosity. Someone would walk by and the scent would waft by, demanding her attention with a seductive whisper. Yet every time she turned her head to track it down she was only met with the smells of more heavy cologne and alcohol. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How could she leave without trying at least one more time to find who it belonged to?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So she grabbed a new glass of that lovely juice and started to hunt the crowd in earnest once more, nostrils flared wide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deciding to leave an event, any kind of event, seemed to have some mystical arrangement with fate. Any time Ruby told herself she would leave somewhere soon, </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened. For once though, that something was the thing she'd already been hoping for! Here was the person she'd sought all night, standing before her all of a sudden when she squeezed her way between two large, chatty groups of people. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like she'd thought all along, it belonged to a woman. Never had she ever known a man to wear such a fruity perfume. And this had to be a woman going by the full head of dark hair put up in a high tail. It fell down the entire length of her back even while pulled up. She was just a little taller than Ruby herself with a slender build, dressed up so casually compared to everyone else it was striking. In this room full of suits, well-pressed shirts, dresses and heels she sported a tight tanktop and daringly short shorts. She looked ready to go for a run, not spend time at a party like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on, sweetheart. All I'm asking for is a number before you go. Just so we can have a more private conversation later."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she was getting hit on by one of the smarmiest-looking dudes Ruby had seen all night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dude. No," the girl said in a low growl. She smacked one of his hands off of her shoulder only for him to smoothly snake it onto her other. "For the last time, I'm leaving. If you keep trying to stop me I'm gonna put you on the floor."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aw, don't be like that. Just a few digits and I promise we can leave this for a better day." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was something Ruby had always wanted to try in a situation like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah- Oh, crap!" she cried as dramatically as she could, tripping over her own feet like the ditz she was and catching herself by crashing into Smarmy's expensive-looking dinner jacket. The contents of her glass ended up splashed all down his front, face included. "Ohmigosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I just tripped and oh no you should go get your shirt dry! Oh gosh I hope that doesn't stain!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It only took one enraged look in Ruby's direction for Smarmy to realize that her grand spectacle now had the eyes of the nearest twenty people, sympathy and laughter echoing from all around at his drenched appearance. He seethed in silence for a few moments but chose to walk away instead; the long walk of shame to clean himself up after his failure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry!" Ruby waved at his retreating back, doing her best to hide her smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once people were done watching, the girl who'd been getting hit on let out a faint whistle to draw Ruby's attention. "That was by far some of the worst acting I've ever seen to get rid of an ass like him. I'm amazed you got away with that." She sounded like she was holding back laughter. "But if it works it works I guess."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Heck yeah it worked!" Ruby puffed up her chest and finally turned to face the girl she'd helped- "Just call me the luckiest cutie you've eve- ever- e- um…" -only to promptly lose any semblance of coherent thought she'd had. All she had left was a couple of words that got themselves caught in her throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pretty Girl. Hawt. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hmm… Well, you are pretty cute, I'll give you that." The girl did laugh this time, her pretty gray eyes shifting in color to a mischievous pink for the briefest flicker. "Thanks for the save though, honestly. I was about ready to pop him in the mouth even though he wasn't worth it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I- Um, yeah! O-Of course. Guys like that are just.. super-jerks so sometimes, y'know, they just need a little.. a little kick in the butt…" Ruby pantomimed a kick and laughed way too loud. Oh man was she nervous. Every witty line she'd hoped to use to make a good impression had vacated the premises. All she wanted right now was to watch this girl's pretty face. And maybe count all her freckles… There were a lot speckled across her dark tan. How far did they go anyway? Oh god, she was muscular too despite her deceptively thin waist. Those arms could probably give great hugs…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, crap. She needed to pay attention. Pretty Girl was talking and Ruby wanted to hear everything she had to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Butt-kicking is good. Your boots look like they'd be good for kicking. I like them."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was she laughing with or at Ruby? Eh, what did it matter? She was smiling and that was what counted. Those eyes sparkled gold like the big crystal chandelier over their head, captivating her vision.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"With him out of the way though I'm planning on going back home. This party's been kinda boring for a while. Who wants to talk about school </span>
  <em>
    <span>all the time</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I just came because all my friends are studying like a bunch of nerds."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby felt a moment's panic when Pretty Girl said she was leaving. Up until she remembered what she'd been about to do soon too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"M-Me too!" Ruby spat out. She frantically sought out the first place she could find to lay her forgotten glass, which happened to be on top of a half-filled tray of fruit slices. "I-I was about to go home too!" she squeaked, turning robotically towards the door and holding a hand out for Pretty Girl to follow. "W-Wanna walk with me? That guy might come back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a long moment of deliberation on Pretty Girl's end that felt like a mini eternity before she laughed again. It was when she looped her arm with Ruby's and began to cheerfully steer her out the door that Ruby's brain </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>short-circuited. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sounds like a great plan. I'm Ilia, by the way."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I-" </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ilia was a pretty name. Pretty name for a Pretty Girl. </span>
  </em>
  <span>"I-I'm gay."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...I noticed." Pink eyes again. Followed by a kaleidoscopic sequence of reds and oranges that was too coincidental to be an accident. Ilia snickered and looked pointedly at Ruby's necklace. "What's your name though?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"R-Ruby! I'm Ruby!" she corrected in a high pitch, mixed feelings of elation and mortification filling her cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ilia chuckled and playfully tapped Ruby's nose. "Ruby for your big red blush. It's cute. You like video games, Ruby?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah…" Ruby breathed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sweet! My roommate's out and I need someone new to trounce at AzureBlaz. You game?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're on! I call Nuu-14!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If this wasn't a match made in heaven, Ruby wasn't sure she'd ever find another one. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Perfect Picture</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Blake x Ruby x Velvet</p><p>An architect and a freelance photographer are thoroughly enjoying their newlywed life together. </p><p>The photographer's latest model is starting to harbor a serious crush after a few visits to their home studio… on both of them.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"...Perfect. Hold that pose as best you can? ...Great. Now sloooowly turn your right arm counterclockwise from your position. Slowly… Perrrfect- Oh my- that wasn't meant to be offensive, Blake! I-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"None taken. Want me to keep going?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I- Yeah. Just a little further…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake prided herself on her poker face. A model needed to have a strong mask at all times. One stray blink or little twitch could ruin that one perfect moment that could take hours to recreate. And of course that composure had to be maintained no matter what happened in the studio, whether someone sneezed, fell over… or made an offensive comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As one of the most well-known Faunus models in Vale's fashion sphere, Blake had heard her fair share of them behind the scenes. Especially as a cat Faunus that many a mouth behind a camera had called purr-fect as a joke. She'd walked away from more gigs than she could count on account of some people not having the good sense to stop toeing the line. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was probably the first time she had ever had to bite her cheek to stop her giggles when the cameraman caught their mistake too late. Or camerawoman in this case. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was really only in deference to this particular one that had her finding the insensitive line amusing rather than irritating for once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet Scarlatina, a rising star in the photography world, was a Faunus herself. A rabbit Faunus at that, probably one of the few types of Faunus that heard more jokes at her expense than even Blake did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had only taken one conversation over lunch for the two of them to begin commiserating over the lack of professionalism they had encountered in the past behind closed doors. It made for a great bonding topic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...Okay. Why don't we call it for lunch here? Meet back in an hour?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake relaxed her arms and took her time stretching her body back out at Velvet's suggestion. The feeling of relief that came at break times was always wonderful; posing for hours at time was far more strenuous an activity than anyone outside of the business would have you believe. Though Velvet was probably one of the most lenient photographers she'd ever worked with, insisting on at least a ten-minute break every hour or two.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake's cat ears twitched when she heard the studio's door open, signaling the departure of the two girls who assisted Velvet with her lighting and scene props. Which left the two of them alone since her agent and the clothing designer they were working with were out for coffee already. With today being the last day they'd been planning on shooting, Pyrrha and Coco had decided to spend it talking about potential future projects together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I really am so sorry, Blake. I wasn't thinking about it until it came out of my mouth."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet's apology was expected but Blake appreciated it nonetheless for its sincerity. In the three weeks they'd been working together she'd come to regard her new coworker with nothing short of complete respect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Seriously Velvet. None taken." Blake accepted the apology with a gentle smile. She allowed Velvet to help her up from the cot she'd been posing on today and stretched again with a hum. "You're probably the last person on Remnant I would expect to say something like that maliciously. Besides, how could I hold someone so upstanding as you in ill regard for a simple mistake?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet laughed softly, fiddling with her long hair and averting her eyes. "Thank you… You're always so well-spoken, Blake. It's impressive how you always have such an eloquent way of saying things."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet made a vague motion towards nothing and blushed when Blake chuckled. "Well thank you. I do try. I even flip through a thesaurus every night before bed to prepare myself for the next day."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No way. Now you're just making fun of me!" Velvet pouted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Perish the thought! I would never."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them giggled together at their jokes, walking to the studio's door and stepping into Velvet's living room. Her workspace was a small attachment on the side of her home so leaving it required walking through the house proper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Any plans for lunch today, Blake?" Velvet asked, taking her time wending her way around the furniture. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Unfortunately I forgot to pack myself anything," Blake lamented. "I figured I would just run and grab a bite from someplace close by."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Would you like to stay and have leftovers instead? We had tuna casserole last night and there's so much of it left."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you're okay with having me over, that sounds great!" Blake had to work a little harder than normal to keep from sounding too excited. "Ruby's an amazing cook so I bet she did great things with my mother's recipe!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're always happy to have you over! Let me go get her to take a break and you can see how it came out yourself. I thought it was pretty amazing."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With Velvet cheerfully bouncing her way up the staircase to her wife's office, Blake was left to her own thoughts until she returned. Which meant she had time to drop her head in her hands and cringe at herself on her way through the house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake was hardly the type to "forget" anything, let alone a lunch. She'd already been working this job for three weeks and knew damn well that she was intruding on Velvet's personal space by not bringing one. Just as she'd done almost every day for the past </span>
  <em>
    <span>two </span>
  </em>
  <span>weeks. Yet here she was, fibbing about it once more just so she could spend more time with the woman. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A married woman. </span>
  </em>
  <span>What kind of fool had she become?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No matter how sweet, intelligent, or understanding Velvet was, she was still spoken for already. She had already promised her health and happiness, along with her soft voice and her caring outlook to someone else. Blake had no room lusting and yearning after someone that had no room in their heart for her. Not beyond the room reserved for friends anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But here she was regardless. Uselessly pining while she took advantage of Velvet's kindness to spend more time near her-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Blake! How are you?! You saw that new episode, right?! That twist? Oh my god, I have so many things I wanna talk about! It was so different from the book. I'm just- agh! Mindblown doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about it!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ruby! Calm down!" Velvet admonished her wife with a laugh, gently tugging the tiny redhead away from Blake's side so the model could have her personal space back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's fine, Velvet," Blake reassured her, facing the new arrival with a big grin. "I wanted to talk to you about it too, Ruby. Now, don't tell anyone, but I may or may not have gotten some insider secrets straight from the lips of one of the co-stars of the series after it aired."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby gasped dramatically and frantically waved for Blake to take a seat, plopping herself backwards in a chair with an intense look on her face. "Do tell, m'lady."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was rare for Blake to come across someone that was as much of a fan of her favorite book series as she was. So when she had first met Velvet's wife, wearing a limited-edition promotional shirt released with the first novel, they had hit it off spectacularly. Especially since said book series was now in the middle of a brand new television adaptation. As such, she didn't mind in the least when Ruby interrupted her self-deprecating monologuing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Being angry with someone like Ruby honestly seemed quite impossible, as was being angry or depressed in her presence. She was truly the personification of a ray of sunshine. Big smiles, an unending supply of positivity, and a deep wellspring of cheer. Talking to her was as easy as breathing and Blake enjoyed it so much she almost forgot she was here to eat if not for Velvet placing a plate of reheated casserole in front of her mid-conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, that smells so good!" Blake's satisfied moan as she took a bite put a proud smile on Ruby's face as the cook for the meal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I made some alterations to that recipe you recommended. Seems like I did a good job," Ruby said with a grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Such a good job. I'm a terrible cook so I couldn't even get close to this if I tried," Blake admitted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You want some to take home later? I bet we'll still have extra after this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That would be amazing!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One would think that since Ruby was such a nice person herself, so well-suited to being Velvet's spouse, that Blake would have an easier time relinquishing her silly crush. It wasn't as if there was any doubt in her mind that Ruby would cherish her. After spending so many lunch hours with the couple over the last fortnight she had to admit that they were perfect for each other. Yes, they made for great conversation partners with Ruby's snappy jokes and Velvet's talent for noticing intriguing details on topics. But even more than that she had seen how fluidly they played off of each other. There was never a dull moment talking with them and between their vastly different occupations they had so many interesting observations to make about everything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The problem here was not only that Blake was a useless lesbian that couldn't give up when she very well ought to- she was a useless lesbian twice over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the one hand, she held a deep admiration for Velvet as both a fellow Faunus and a woman working in her own field that could be so toxic to one's motivation with its constantly shifting focus. She was so strong and determined in her work ethic without once compromising her softness and kindness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other, Blake had somehow come to regard Ruby with an equal level of affection as well. Behind that puppy-like exterior of unending cheer and energy was an intensely sharp mind paired with ambition the likes of which she had scarcely seen. Blake could sense the huge amounts of work the young woman put in behind the scenes to craft the perfect life for herself and her spouse. Such single-minded dedication was enough to set her own heart a-flutter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So here Blake was, stuck between a rock and a hard place, hopelessly in love with two women already in a committed relationship with each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What a fool she was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Blake? You okay over there?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet's voice snapped Blake out of her thoughts again, bringing her notice to her own hands that had been listlessly pushing her last bite of food around her plate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wha- Oh, of course. Sorry, I was just thinking about something else." Blake pasted on her most professional smile for the brown and silver eyes watching her from across the table. It seemed she'd let her mind wander a little too far. She wasn't even sure if the conversation had moved from the discussion of the romances in her and Ruby's show. "What were you saying?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet watched Blake closely for a moment, a small frown on her face. "I mean, nothing really. I'm… kind of more curious what you were thinking about. You get this faraway look on your face sometimes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake tried to keep her face as neutral as she could, caught off guard by the question. "Nothing major really. Just some… personal issues."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Anything we can help with?" Ruby asked eagerly. "We can totally listen if you've got anything you wanna get off your chest."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not that you need to feel forced to or anything!" Velvet amended when Blake hesitated. "I was just wondering because you looked… I don't know, lonely? We noticed it the other day too and talked about it after you left. If it's something we can help with, we'd like to."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well that was embarrassing. Blake hadn't realized she'd let her guard down that much. That left her floundering a little, wondering what she should say. "I don't… think so. It was just- You two have such a great relationship, you know? You're both smart, fun, beautiful. Lately I've just been kind of wondering if, you know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>could ever have something like that." So much for her eloquence. She'd gotten a little close for comfort to the heart of her worries but it wasn't too specific. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh." Velvet blushed heavily and Blake's heart squeezed in response to seeing such a cute face. "Well, from the sound of it I guess you're single right now?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Whaaaat? No way. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The </span>
  </em>
  <span>Blake Belladonna should have </span>
  <em>
    <span>lines </span>
  </em>
  <span>of boys and girls ready to date such a catch," Ruby declared, this time causing Blake's cheeks to pick up a little color. "If it were me I'd be dying of anticipation every day waiting to dote on such a pretty lady."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Velvet hissed, blushing all the way to the tip of her nose on her wife's behalf. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake just giggled though, drawing far more pleasure from that statement than she felt she ought to. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Ruby Rose," she said with a laugh, letting it die down after a minute with a sigh. "No one at home for me though, no. Just me and my books and my frozen dinners."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The quiet after that sad statement lingered, making Blake regret phrasing it that way and wondering how she could have stated it better. Unable to think of any alternative though she just stood and walked to the couple's sink to clean her dishes. She staunchly refused to make them clean up on her behalf normally, choosing instead to borrow the rag and soap they left on the counter to wash any dishes she used on her own. Focusing on that task helped to fill the void with white noise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What if-" Ruby paused, probably looking at Velvet for something before she continued in a halting voice. "What if... that wasn't flattery? What if I told you I- I wanted to have dinner waiting for you every night?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake's hands froze mid-scrub. She kept her back to the other two in the room, though the feline ears atop her head stood on high alert. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Velvet's voice sounded next and she spoke in a breathy rush, some words blurring together. "WhatifI told you I wanted to keep a smartandfunandbeautiful woman like you tomyself?" Her voice hiked up into a squeak at the end and Blake could perfectly picture her covering her mouth with her hands while her cheeks burned tomato red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I- I would- I'd appreciate great offers like that but you two are married." Blake's attempt to keep her voice even failed when the word "married" wobbled like a precariously stacked house of cards. "It's not like I could ask you to get divorced to fight over me or something-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We could stay married and date you together though," Ruby interjected as if she'd been waiting for the chance. "If- If you'd be open to it…" Her uncertain follow-up to her confident interruption ruined its effect a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Here's the thing, Blake." Velvet spoke up again, her chair protesting against tile as she stood up and started to slowly walk to Blake's spot by the sink. "We both really like you… and we both noticed you watching both of us and we think we know why you've been doing it. And the thing is… we've always been open to the idea that there could be room for others in our relationship besides us. There's even an empty office in the house just for that possibility."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake jumped a mile high when she felt thin, soft arms wrap around her waist. She stayed tense against them, unsure of how to respond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't have to decide anything right away!" Ruby reassured her, her anxious voice coming from nearby to show she'd come closer too, though not as close as Velvet. "I know it's a weird idea to most people but if we're right then we figured you'd be okay with it. So… think about it? I know today was gonna be the last day you were gonna be here so I wanted to say something before we miss the chance to see each other so easily again since you're such a busy person-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake audibly took a deep breath, halting Ruby's nervous rambling and prompting Velvet to release her from her hug. Then she took a second one, groaning when it completely failed to calm her. "Couldn't you have waited until the end of the day to spring this on me?" she asked in a shaky voice. "How are we supposed to take the rest of the pictures if my makeup's all runny?!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All three of them laughed despite themselves as Blake spun around and pulled both members of the couple into a tight hug. Her makeup was already beginning to run but she felt so overwhelmed by this situation that she couldn't begin to honestly care. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Does- Does that mean-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yes that means I want to try this with you two, you silly goblin!" Blake interrupted Ruby with the goofy moniker she'd heard Velvet use for her wife on occasion, making them all laugh again. "You know though, you could have made this so much easier if even one of you just casually let slip you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>poly </span>
  </em>
  <span>in any old conversation</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Now I feel ridiculous for all my worrying!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Velvet and Ruby responded in tandem and gave each other a starstruck look. Clearly neither of them had considered that possibility. They giggled and gently lowered themselves to Blake's level on the floor when she groaned and slumped down in defeat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"..That </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>have been so much simpler," Velvet admitted softly. "Why didn't I think of- mm…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake didn't let Velvet take that line of thinking any further, taking the woman's face in her hands and planting a deep kiss on her plush lips like she'd been fantasizing about for days. Then she reached out to Ruby to do the same to her, breathing heavily of the scents of chocolate and sugar that always seemed to follow them around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby regarded Blake with fond eyes after they separated, running her hands over the model's cheeks to wipe away her tears. "Supermodels really are a different breed. Still so gorgeous even with raccoon eyes," she whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I concur." Velvet giggled when Blake rolled her eyes and let herself be held up in a hug between the couple, laying a kiss of her own on Blake's cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake allowed herself a moment to enjoy the affection being showered on her. After the last two weeks of tension building up to this sudden overflow of emotion she needed a little time to recover. Just like she would expect from such an easygoing pair though, Velvet and Ruby happily snuggled up on the floor with her for an indeterminate amount of time. A good sign for the future. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So." Blake spoke up once she felt good and calm again, gently squeezing the hands that had made their way into hers. "As much as I'm enjoying this cuddle pile I think there's a lot we need to discuss sooner rather than later. Which is a lot easier to do in a comfortable place. Are you two okay with leaving work aside to do that?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think we've got enough pictures for Coco to set up her catalog now," Velvet said in a bright voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And I'm between projects so I'm totally free!" Ruby declared. "You wanna come up to our room, Blakey? We've got a Vacuoan King mattress. Plenty of extra room for a lovely lady like yourself."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't let her fool you with that," Velvet whispered conspiratorially. "We really got it because she's a starfish and a blanket hog when she sleeps."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blake laughed loudly at Ruby's indignant squeak, feeling lighter and happier than she had in a long time when she stood. "I think that's a perfect place to take this talk. Lead the way, girls."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just like at the beginning of this chapter, all the chapters will have their featured ship shown right away &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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